January 14th - Watchman Nee's The Joyful Heart

January 14th's speaks of what happens if we sin, but yet still continue in our relationship with God.

 

We would: 

• feel the distance in our relationship with Him
• feel that we can't worship or communicate with Him that spontaneously no more.
  which is so true for me, as after I sin, I find it hard to get back into worshipping Him like how I could before I commit any wrongdoings. 

What we should do:

• Confess our sins to Him
• Ask for His forgiveness 
• Repent  

The Book of Genesis - Chapter 1 to 7

I recently acquired a daily devotional version of the Bible (NIV version), which is just the book I've been looking for quite some months. Alas.
As follow, are selected points which what impacted me one way or another.

• God is majestic
  - Having created the universe with multitudes of stars, which according to scientists, is equal to all the grains of the sands on all beaches of the world. Yet to imagine, that all these stars function orderly and efficiently.
  - The fact that our galaxy spins at 490,000 miles per hour - where it'd take our galaxy 200 million years to make one rotation across the entire universe. Over one billion other galaxies like ours exists in the universe.
  
  
• God is infinite
  Which simply means, that He exists before it all. We could never comprehend on this fact, based on our finite understanding.
  
  
  
  

• Even God rests!
  He rested on the seventh day after having six full days creating the universe, which includes the world we live in. We too, as God demonstrated, needs rest.
  
  
• God allows us to make choices in life, to obey Him or disobey Him
  He did not impose certain things upon us, simply because He does not want us to obey out of anything but our own choices.
  Adam was told not to eat from the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet, a tree which God had placed in the very garden where Adam dwelled, where He could have made it impossible for Adam to even reach to the tree himself.
  
  
  
  

• Be honest with God about our everything, even when we make terrible mistakes.
  Adam tried to hide the fact that he sinned when questioned by God.

• To confess when we are in the wrong, and to repent - not blaming others to 'save ourselves' from sin.
  God knows every truth there is, so each of us are held responsible for whatever our acts may be. Adam and Eve did not confess, instead they blamed others for their sins.
  
  
• God cares about every detail of every individual there is.
  Family lineage, from Adam's family down to his descendants were recorded with specific details, like name, children, age at death, etc.
  
  
  
  

• Do not worry about things beyond our control, so that we can focus on the things that are within our control.
  Noah did not worry about how he would round up all the animals to the ark that he was to build, but surrender the matter to God. Then, he stayed focused throughout, on building the ark.

Rest in Peace, Susan (1948 - 2009)

Susan Atkins

Born May 7, 1948

San Gabriel, California, U.S.
Died September 24, 2009 (aged 61)

Chowchilla, California, U.S.

I've just checked on one of my Facebook groups, and on Wikipedia - and found out that Ms. Atkins has already passed away recently, in late September. Even closing in to her death, the parole board would not set her free - people still remained unforgiving to her, despite the fact that she was already reborn and dwelled consistently in Christ.

So, she didn't get to spend time with her family and friends, not til' her death bed (least that's what I read from Wiki). She have suffered a lot during recent years due to sickness - she would really enjoy much more better in Heaven after having faced personally our Lord God the Father.